The Great Baby Shower Thread!

suzycupcake

I know a lot of us are starting to think about baby shower logistics, or are being asked for input from our friends and family members. This is a place to ask questions, look for advice, share ideas, AW your cute decorations/invites, etc.
STM+ please jump in with advice and experience!

Credit: April 2018 BMB

wanderlustsoul

Lol that gif is too great. 😂😂 

My baby shower is on Saturday and I am sooooo excited! 

emqbee

Mine is on the 18th and I’m so excited I can hardly stand it!!

heml

Ours is at the end of June. We’re doing a fiesta theme for our little senorita! Invites will look like this (not our info, it’s the stock photo). It’s a co-ed situation, and we’ll have a nacho bar and margaritas! 

MamaK225

@heml - I love it! Super cute theme and idea.

AFM, we're not quite sure if we're going to have a shower or not. I think I will have a party of some kind Memorial day weekend and call it a Baby Celebration, but not going to push the registry. People get weird about #2 and 99% of the reason I created a registry for her is so that I remember what the hell I need to buy and get that Completion Discount  

sourlemon

My mom and best friend told me I needed to make my registry public and send them the link...but wouldnt tell me why. Clearly they are planning something but wont tell me what. They did a small diaper party for my second kid that was a complete surprise (I hadnt even showered in like 3 days oops!) so I'm hoping they at least give me an hour's notice this time.

I feel weird having anything though...this is kid 3, even if its the first boy it seems weird to have another something something.

goldfishcraker

Everyone here tends to have their showers after baby is born.
So that's what my sister is planning for. (Especially since summer is tough since 1) we are moving and 2) people leave for the lake every weekend)
However, my doctor cousin pointed out all the germies around little baby. And how people try to kiss little baby. So now I'm freaking out. Even though the shower would only be family and close friends, all of whom I can tell to wash their hands and keep their mouths off my child.... But still. Funny how the protective Instict has already kicked in..

MollyH1987

@MamaK225 We kind of did the same thing since it's our second as well. We made a registry to get some discounts and to list/log what we think we'll need eventually. Our mutual work friend said she would throw us a work shower but I haven't heard anything in regards to that so maybe we'll end up with some things off our registry, but we'll see.

emqbee

My very best childhood friend is throwing ours. She and her mom together(who is actually one of my moms closest friends too!). She and I grew up having tea parties...sometimes it was an actual party where we'd play dress up and have some other friends over too, and sometimes it was us being silly and nearly flooding my mom's bathroom because we spilled so much water for our pretend tea party!
So guess the theme! She's throwing an outdoor garden tea party! I'm so excited. I welled up a bit when she told me the theme. 
I'm about to be so sappy...but guys. I always thought baby showers were a little over rated and no one really liked going...but now that I'm the one having a baby and everyone around me is so excited, I'm just overwhelmed with the blessing this shower will be. And I'm overwhelmed with everyone that truly loves this baby I'm carrying and wants to celebrate her with me! And the really sappy part is this...I think about all the women coming to the shower and (shocker) I get teary thinking about the influence and example everyone has been to me when it comes to motherhood. I could probably go down the list and tell each person something I've witnessed about them being a mom that I want to implement, remember, etc. 
Ok...sappy over

lovelikestardust

I didn't think I was going to have one, but my doctor ended up clearing me to fly in June (no reason why she shouldn't have, I think she's just really conservative on this particular point) so I'll be heading out to California for a shower in early June! It's really weird, I don't like being the center of attention and never thought a baby shower would be something I really wanted, but I was SO bummed when I thought I wouldn't be able to have one, and now I'm so excited about it! I think it's because it'll be the first time I'm really celebrating this baby, and it'll be so nice to do it with this particular group of women. It'll be a mix of family, family friends, and a couple of my friends in the area.

MamaK225

Do you ladies mind if I throw in a little mini-rant about showers? So I'm part of this local mom's group on FB. Someone legit posted about creating her registry and asked the group about "must haves for a girl" ... I'm so rage-y right now. It just makes me feel like having one gender requires more or different things than the other and - TTM+, please correct me if I'm wrong - aside from diaper-changing logistics there is ZERO damn difference between a newborn/infant girl and boy. If you have a color palette preference, sure, but that's about the extent. Ok, sorry, ladies. Back to your regularly scheduled programs ...  

emqbee

@mamak225 I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re very welcoming to rants! 😂
I’d totally be ragey too. That’s weird. My registry would be IDENTICAL if I were having a boy sans a few color selections. That’s just stupid. 

wanderlustsoul

@MamaK225, so strange. What needs could be different?! I have begged everyone to please give me gender neutral stuff. I honestly don’t plan to bring back anything that is super ‘boy’. It’s unnecessary. 

purplg8r

I’m having 3 showers.  We had my work one already.  

My main one, with all my friends, is June 1st and the theme is princess

The third one is back home on July 14th for my mom’s Family & friends and H’s family.  It will be co-Ed and way laid back. A Baby-Q

grangerhp37

My mom, MIL, and sister are throwing a shower in early July. I don't think there's an official theme, but our nursery theme is zoo animals so the invitations and decorations have lots of cute elephants on them.

I work at two different schools, both in the same county. One school has already asked about throwing me a work shower (I have 10 coworkers there - it's a small program). I'm not sure whether my department at the other school will throw me one or not but it's definitely not expected!

sourlemon

RE: girl must haves...maybe she was thinking longer term like bows and dresses and cute shoes? I agree there's not much different I would have done on my first registry for a boy or a girl (I actually kept it all neutral) but I definitely bought stuff for my girls that I'd never buy for a boy (bows dresses and cute shoes lol). 

So kinda odd, but it certainly doesn't spark rage in me to see that question.

goldfishcraker

@MamaK225 the literal only difference I can come up with, is if someone wanted to register for one of those..pee-pee-tee-pee things for a boy...😂

I can't think of anything for a girl that I wouldn't get for a boy....

MamaK225

@sourlemon - My only thought was what you said: the addition of bows, dresses, and cute shoes. The rage comes from how is that a "must have?"

@chillycanadian - Yeah, that makes more sense. The wording of "must have for girls" is what really got me.

At best, it's a "helpful" or "things you didn't realize you needed" list (though I still don't get how gender is involved). I know I'm an overly practical person, which is why there's rage and not just a simple "bless her heart" reaction. Specific baby clothing (if you're going to get fancy with it, not the generic packs of onesies or swaddlers or sleep sacks) and bows are pretty personal choices and kind of silly to register for, unless you have 1,000 showers and/or ALL the baby supplies already or handed-down. All of us know that if you put clothes on a registry, at least 50% of the clothes you get will not be on that list and - most likely - not in the same stratosphere of what was requested. It's just the hormones, I know.

sourlemon

@MamaK225 some people are really into material things and how they look. I am not one of those people (shoot, my kids hardly match their clothes for school and i dont make them change), but one of my friends literally would not leave the house for anything unless her baby was perfectly dressed from head to toe, including bows and shoes. She was also the type of person who started putting makeup on her daughter when she turned 3.

also, some FTMs may be concerned about their girl being mistaken for a boy, hence thinking bows are must haves. Again, not me. And thats a big FTM mistake...regardless of the sex and how they are dressed, babies are going to get mixed up! DD1 was wearing a bow and dress once on the way to family pictures and a guy at target still said my baby was a very handsome boy! hahaha.

I agree, NONE of those are "must haves", but to a FTM who really may not know better, it may seem like there could be some differences. You know, things like chandeliers in the nursery...lol

mrosek91

@sourlemon yes! I have a friend who has a girl the same age as DS#1, and I swear that girl has more shoes than I do. When she wasn't even a year old yet she would show up to synagogue in a new pair of boots every week!
Also, this past Saturday, I got my first "what a cute girl" comment. DS#2 has really cute curly hair, so I can't bring myself to cut it, but it's still very thin, and with the curl it doesn't really go below his neck, so a hair cut isn't really necessary. He has wearing a blue button down shirt, and maroon pants, I thought they were manly, but apparently not...

jrm_14

MH’s aunts gave a wedding shower & are doing a baby shower, too. At the wedding shower, someone wrote down the comments I made when unwrapping gifts like, “Ohhh, I love it” or “That’s  just what I wanted!.”  Then it was reread later as ‘things she’ll say on her wedding night.’  It was incredibly awkward. I am REALLY hoping they don’t do it for the baby shower as ‘things she said the night of conception’. Spoiler alert: Made this kid in a doctor’s office. 

suzycupcake

@jrm_14 I mean...is there even a reply for that? Wow. 

Things she said the night of conception #1: Ouch.  #2: What time should I shove this suppository up my vahjay? #3. What was our sample size? #4. How long is the wait to wash the sperm? #5. That was the best never sex I never had in my life! #6. How much do I owe you? 

becks68

What is everyone planning to wear to their babyshower / where are you looking for dresses?  

emqbee

@becks68 I’ve been looking in Pink Blush and will probably order from there today. They have so many cute dresses! It’s just hard to decide because of the large selection 😬

sourlemon

@becks68 my first kids baby shower I wore jeans and a tee shirt. I'm not a dress person and that was about all that fit. 

Surprise diaper shower for kid 2 I was wearing scrubs and one of DHs shirts. He was nice enough to bring me a better shirt but didn't think of pants So I had a nice shirt and scrub pants 😂. I also hadn't showered in a few days and was hanging Christmas lights outside that morning. Oops

If my mom does one for this one it'll be a surprise again but usually DH knows at least the day before so I've told him to make sure I shower and look decent. So probably jeans and a nice tee shirt or capris since Arizona is hot from now until after the baby is born and it would probably be part outside.

zamoraspin

@becks68 My shower isn’t until mid-July so I may change my mind before then but I recently scored this Seraphine dress on Poshmark and I think it would be nice.

 

My sister and mom are throwing mine. I don't know that there will be a "theme" except there will be brunch and mimosas (I'm excited for this even though I won't be drinking them). I've thrown and been to a fair number of bridal and baby showers as have my mom and sister and the decision we've reached is that a brunch shower at a nice but reasonably priced restaurant is really easy if there’s not an obvious house choice (sister and mom live out of town).

Avrilmai

@becks68 I am hoping for a maxi-dress. I haven't gotten one yet, but I just updated my stitch fix profile and plan to order soon. I'm also going to check out pink blush. Maxi-dresses are kind of hard for me because I'm petite, but I'm hoping to find something I like. 

My mom, sister and MIL are hosting a shower in late June. I told them I don't want to be involved in the decision making, they keep trying to force decisions on me. It's been fun... LOL. I did have 2 requests: that it not be a surprise and that they have food that I can (and will) eat. Being the center of attention is difficult for me, with my bridal shower I had my bridesmaids with me and I didn't feel so "on stage" this time, I won't have anyone. They tossed around the idea of a 'couple's shower' but my MIL was appalled by that concept. 

lovelikestardust

@becks68 I'm shopping for a dress. Not sure if it'll be a maxi or not. Pink Blush has really cute ones, and there are some Seraphine dresses that I like too. I'm also keeping an eye on ThredUp for the sake of my wallet. 

@zamora_spin That dress is super cute!

suzycupcake

@AKuzReve I hope that your shower is everything you've ever hoped for tomorrow and that your MIL is on her best behavior. 

@zamora_spin I hope that everyone who comes puts as much thought into your gifts as you do theirs for everything else. 

Afm; My sister is doing a virtual shower for me since all of my family and friends are all over the place. She's gonna use paperlesspost.com for the invites. Not sure which will be used yet. It's my plan to send hand written thank you cards though. She wanted me to gather email addresses to give to her, but I only have phone numbers or Facebook contacts for people. It would make me feel very uncomfortable to reach out to each person like, "Hey wanna come to my virtual baby shower and buy me a gift? Give me your email address if you do."

Anyway, I told my sister that and she said she will do it on my FB page. Wouldn't that be tacky? Not sure how I feel about that at all. Nobody has even asked me if I'm registered anywhere aside from two people who are my online only friends and two of my Aunties. This whole baby shower thing is honestly stressing me out...

BigBadWolf12

@Suzycupcake it should be whatever you want, I think.  I'm international and have friends all over and a what i know of a virtual shower is not my personal preference.  I like showers for the social/food aspect and I think both are missed in a virtual shower (could be wrong....maybe there are still games and "hang out" in a virtual shower?  Never experienced one tbh).  My local friends did a shower for me for DS, and other long distance friends either sent their congratulations casually by social media or a few of them went out of their way to send a gift. 

I'm not expecting a shower for this one at all - second baby and due over summer holidays. 

Could you host a sip and see after baby is born if local friends don't do a shower for you? 

suzycupcake

@BigBadWolf12 No clue. My sister told me she will handle everything. It might just be the registry, invites, and thank you cards. Dunno. We’d love to do an actual baby shower but it isn’t in the cards. 

I suppose we could host a sip and see for friends. It really is gonna depend on how I feel health wise after the baby is born (I have MS), but we Googled sip and sees because we didn’t know what it was lol I like the travel the world theme idea. Have you had a sip and see before?

aecm

@suzycupcake I’ve been to a few “meet & greets” and “sip and sees.” I think they’re much more popular in Canada (I don’t know why), but I’ve been to one in the States too. I really like the concept of everyone getting to meet and hold the baby at one pre-scheduled time. They’ve been less about the gifts than showers, which makes them great little party options for second and subsequent children. All the ones I’ve been to in Canada were at someone else’s house (a grandmother, great-aunt, etc) so it’s nice that the mom doesn’t have to get her house cleaned after having a newborn. The only downside (IMO) is that friends / family tend to bring food when they come visit to meet the baby. So with a “sip and see” you may miss out on the unofficial meal train that comes along with having everyone come over individually. 

BigBadWolf12

@suzycupcake

My mom did a sip and see for us when we visited when baby was 3 months old so all the visiting could be done at once and we'd have a relaxing Christmas otherwise lol.

I have attended a sip and see and it was nice.  They also had a shower but wanted everyone to meet the baby at once instead of having so many visitors and did it while the baby's grandma was visiting so she helped with prep and everything. 

We will probably do one for this baby before flu season starts. We have so many allergies to think about for DS we can't accept food from people anyways, so I didn't even think about that aspect of things.  It's just easier for us to host everyone at once. 

goldfishcraker

@suzycupcake I agree. I would also feel uncomfortable with a "virtual shower" as the socializing aspect is the main part of the shower for me, and the gifts are a nice bonus. I would worry it would feel like a gift grab, where the gifter doesn't "get anything" out of it. (No games, food, time with Mom or baby etc). (Same reason I wouldn't/haven't invited anyone to a shower unless  I either 1) am related to them or 2) would hang out with otherwise. And for my wedding shower, I didn't invite anyone who was not invited to the wedding.)

That being said, with your family spread far and wide, I see nothing wrong with making them aware of where you are registered, in case they would like to get you something! I like being aware of people's registries, because it means I can get them something they want/need/will actually use, instead of trying to guess. I don't find it rude or presumptuous to make the information available! And it wouldn't be awkward for your sister to let the family know. I would assume she would have that contact info?

suzycupcake

@BigBadWolf12 Thanks again for the sip and see idea. I decided to only give registry info to family I keep in touch with and then have a sip and see for friends/church family after the baby is here so they can meet him. 

BigBadWolf12

@Suzycupcake glad you have a plan you're happy with!  I've never heard of a first that didn't like a sip and see bc the baby is there to hold!  Haha hope you have a great time

zamoraspin

@suzycupcake I'm glad you came up with a plan you like better. I was meaning to reply that I'm sorry you are not getting the shower experience you wanted. One thought I had was if people send gifts are there even just a few folks nearby/in town so that you could have a mini-shower of opening gifts?

suzycupcake

@zamora_spin Well we do have friends here but no relatives. None of our friends have children so that may be why nobody has offered to host. As far as I know, family will be sending what’s on our registry. My sister told me last night that she’s gonna create a birthday betting pool, a quiz style baby game, video hosting for advice, etc. using a site like webbabyshower.com 

I wanted to wear a pretty dress though and dammit I wanted cake! I’ll get over it. Maybe I’ll end up being the community baby shower planner for my recently joined Moms club to make sure women get a good time when they have more babies 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

cato99

@suzycupcake I hear you, I’m also in a place with no family (and my family is scattered so there isn’t one location I can “go back” to for festivities), and my closest friends don’t have kids, so I don’t get a lot of attention during pregnancies. Last
time a couple of friends did get their act together and had a cute cocktail party that wasn’t exactly a shower but was in honor of the baby; but this time no go. It can be hard to see all the elaborate baby showers, let alone people who have several!

So get yourself a bunch of pretty dresses and declare the summer an extended baby celebration. And if someone wants to do a gift drive for you that’s great! People like to celebrate and buy things for babies even if they’re far away, and having an organized structure to do that could be helpful. From
personal experience, I have totally forgotten to get ppl a baby thing because we’re far away and I may not know what they really need, so something like a virtual shower could be a good opportunity to coordinate with the recipient!

wanderlustsoul

I had my shower and it was awesome. It was so much fun and they did an incredible job! I got so many things. We have very few things left to buy and I just bought a bunch. We also got a ton of cash haha. I was so glad to see all my family and friends. They were all very complimentary of how good I looked and the glow so It made me feel even better about pregnancy. Some pics! It was elephant and woodland themed and too cute! 



Posted this in HDBD but this is what I wore with these shoes:

emqbee

@AKuzReve everything looks fantastic! And you look lovely! I’m so glad you enjoyed your shower and had so many needs met.